First Comes Danger, then Comes Love
by m r s . w r i t i n g
Summary: Bella's stalker, will go to any length to make sure she's his for the taking. But when Bella meets Edward, and falls in love with the perfect man, she realizes he's at risk. AH, AU, ExB Full on R


_Being Afraid Wasn't Enough_

_He Wanted Me Dead Too,_

_Out of Love, Hate, and Even Anger, _

_But First Comes Love, and then Comes Danger_

_But when it comes to the ones you're with, and the ones you need,_

_The Terror Masked as a white dove, _

_First Comes Danger, and then Comes Love_

**CHAPTER ONE**

I never thought I'd have to look behind me so much, afraid of what may be lurking behind every corner, afraid to call for help. So I kept going, making my way up the many flights of stairs, afraid that each flight hid James, my stalker that will stop at nothing to kill me. He seemed to be so determined to bring me to my demise. He was at first a stranger, a nice stranger, but after trying to kill me, it seems as if running was my only option. His face haunted me in my dreams and his voice haunted me in my wake. If I could go back in time to prevent from ever meeting him, I would do so in a heartbeat. But now, I was moving for the third time. Ever since James's obsession started about a year ago, I moved often. I never got too comfortable in one place. Now, my choice was Chicago. It was cold, it was big, and it was full of people. After living in Alaska for six months I got used to the cold. Now it was Christmas, so it would be exceptionally cold. I don't know why I wanted to spend Christmas, New Years, and Valentine's Day here, but I would, and I would spend no more. On the 16th of February, I would leave for Boston, Massachusetts. My destination after that was unknown. I had an idea that perhaps I would leave the country after that. How far would James go to have me?

I followed the caretaker to my already-furnished apartment. God those were expensive. I couldn't afford for someone to move my furniture around the country, financially or morally. That was just something else for James to track. So I settled with hotel rooms and furnished apartments. I was luckily able to afford this when my parents died, leaving me with a shit load of money, not to mention the inheritance from my grandparents that just passed. When my parents died, I was the only person the money could be left to.

The care taker opened the door for me. The apartment was decent. Walls were brick, and the furniture was leather, clean leather at that. The book shelf was empty and as I walked into the kitchen, which had stone walls as well, I realized that it was clean as well. I walked through the small hallway. There were two bedrooms. I didn't know what I would do with the extra room, but down the hall was a large bathroom with a tub and separate shower. The counter had two sinks and two medicine cabinets. It was clean as well. I would enjoy living here for almost three months that was for sure.

I carried about my usual routine and went down to my car. In the back were boxes and boxes of knick knacks, and books. If there was something I wasn't leaving behind it was my books. After filling up the two book shelves in the living room that stood against the red brick wall, I sat on my leather couch. There was no TV, and that was the way I liked it. I never watched TV growing up as a kid, nor did I want to. It just made running easier. I had less to carry and more money from not buying and returning.

I hoped that this time I could stay longer. I wanted to settle down somewhere for at least until after Valentine's Day. Dreaming of how I'd spend Christmas alone by myself, my stomach grumbled. I remembered that I hadn't gone to the grocery store yet, so I got in my car and made my way over to the next market. I drove as carefully as I could on the icy streets. I didn't have my Camry during the time in Alaska. I had an old truck then, sufficient for the snowy roads. They didn't even pave the streets were I stayed, because the snow was so immense. I stopped in Seattle and bought a car after spending time at my dad's house. I shuddered at the memory.

_It was wet, and it was humid, as always. I don't know why I decided to come back, but I did. My parents were dead. This was only a morbid memory, wasn't it? The furniture was exactly how I left it. Untouched, and if anything else, dusty. It was cold. The water was turned off. The lights were turned off as well. I would have to leave soon. The sun was turning in, which would leave me to the dark. I looked back through the kitchen window at my new Camry that I had purchased in Seattle. This would be nice while I hid in cities. _

I remember my conversation I had with an old man I had in Alaska.

_"Who are you?" I sat at the saloon of the old town. _

_"Bella," I never gave my last name. I had to change it so often. _

_"You look tired?" He had an old matted beard, and his wrinkles portrayed the wisdom he had obtained over the years. _

_"Well, move as much as I do and you get tired." I stared at my glass of whiskey and downed it. God I love being over twenty-one._

_"Ah, you're one of the free spirits," he mused with a grunt. _

_"I wish I were one of the free ones," I said more to myself than to him in a whisper. _

_"What's troubling ya then?"_

_"Why do you care?" I almost sobbed. _

_"Every one needs someone to talk to…"_

_"I have a stalker." I said simply, fiddling with the glass. The bartender offered to fill it, beckoning with the glass bottle, but I refused him. "He won't leave me alone. I've been running from him for almost a year now, and he finds me every time."_

_"Why's he stalking ya?" he grunted. _

_"I wouldn't go out with him, and he tried to kill me one time." I choked back tears. "I got away and he's been looking for me ever since." My tone was low. I wanted no one to hear. I don't even know why I was telling this old man._

_"Well," he turned on his bar stool, taking off his hat and setting it in front of his beer, "the first mistake you made is not tell'n the police!" He sounded angry. I don't blame him. "Now, explain that to meh!" _

_"His has friends, in the police department, lawyers. I did my research," I glanced at him, and I saw his face. He did look angry. _

_"Well, what you need is some good help."_

_"I don't wanna get anyone involved. They can just get hurt. Plus, he already told me he could frame me." _

_"Frame ya, huh?" I nodded weakly. _

_"Well, first of all, you need to get the hell outta this town! It's too small and not very populated. He could kill you, and no one would see, and bury you in the snow!" He was right. I looked back from my glass again, but this time gave him my full attention._

_"Tell me what you think I should do?" Tears almost fell from my eyes. I was so scared. If I went to the police, he would frame me, if didn't run, he would kill me. He would frame me for one of the crimes he committed. He either wanted me locked up or dead. I was locked up this way, running away from him, not being able to have a life. _

_"Second of all," he continued, holding up an old, thick, crooked finger, "you need to leave. Get rid of that ol' piece of junk," he pointed to my rusty old truck I got when I was seventeen that would only go 50 miles an hour, "and get a car that could beat a horse!" I nodded. It would be sad to see my truck go, but I would deal. "Do you ya have money?" he asked. _

_"Yes," I answered shortly. _

_"How much?"_

_"A lot of inheritance. I'm set for life. I don't need to work." _

_"Well, God has you set, doesn't he?" I flinched at the word "God". I questioned my religion before. Why "God" would let me get into this situation, I don't' know. But I had to stay strong, and not let this bad experience bring me down. But when I needed someone to turn to, trust me, I was unafraid to go to a church and just sit in the pews and think. _

_"I suppose." _

_"So, since you have money, you need to use it to get that car, and then you need to leave. Somewhere populated, and somewhere with a lot of people. If you screamed, you would want someone to be able to hear you. Big cities, Chicago, Boston, New York, Jersey, any kind of City are good. L.A; San Francisco. Keep thinking, "lots of people!" If he gets too close you can always lose him in the crowds. You understand?" _

_I nodded._

_"Get a cell phone, but don't use it. The more you do, he'll be able to track. Only use it when you need it. For regular calls you need to make use pay phones. So I guess I don't have to tell ya to save quarters?" _

_I laughed. I was glad I was able to find humor in his instructions. "Yes sir" _

_"And keep a diary, or something. Write where you've been and stuff like letters you receive and things like that. Evidence is what you want. So you may want to get a camera." I would get a video camera and a laptop and make vlogs if I needed. "Make sure it's in the last place he'd look, and where the police might if you go missing. Have your land lord keep it or something if you get an apartment, or your neighbor." _

_I nodded again. _

_"Always keep an extra key, and take defense classes if you stay in one place long enough. Don't worry about furniture. Try to get places already furnished. That's a good thing about the city," he nodded at the luxury slyly. "Change your name if you need to. Get new driver's license. You need to also need to keep spare clothes in your trunk. Don't get a lot of groceries. Don't acquaint with a lot of people. You'll leave bread crumbs. Be discrete. Carry pepper spray. You can't carry a gun because you'll change your name so much and the last thing you want is to violate any law. Like you said, you'll get framed if you're discovered, or killed even."_

After that he wished me good luck and I thanked him. He gave such good advice. His advice kept me alive so far. But I always remembered the last thing he said: _And remember, never stay in one place for too long. He'll track you down. Here's how you can contact me if you need anything… _

He scribbled something down on a piece of paper that he had taken out of his pocket. And I still have that information until this day.

I also didn't have packages delivered to me and I didn't subscribe to anyone. But I was still too stupid, apparently. Shortly after I left the old man and left Alaska, I went back home. I guess it was closure. I needed to say good bye to my old life. It wasn't like I'd be missed. I never dated much. A guy named Mike, and I made the mistake of dating my best friend Jake who eventually cheated on me with my best friend, Angela. My parents were dead, and so were distant relatives, such as my Grandparents, where I got most of my money from. It was all in the bank. That was one thing I loved. I just made my account under my grandmother's name. I had changed my name so it was legal, _I suppose_. I always kept that name, but went by something else. It's a difficult concept.

_It was darker when I finished reminiscing. I slowly took a step forward into the room. I could hear my own footstep echo just as I could hear my heartbeat within my ears. My heart raced, like racing horses, changing paces, getting faster and faster. The moonlight showed through the window, in a serene purple color into the dark, the shadows of the leaves of trees invading its path only a little. But the serenity from the moon wasn't enough for my heart to stop beating. Especially when I heard his voice. _

_"Well, well, well," he mused. I didn't turn around. I didn't have the heart to. I was to afraid of the possibility that he would in fact be standing behind me and I thought nothing of it as good things. Though, my refusal to turn around didn't stop from my jaw to drop, in fear, my eyes to water, tears of fear running down my face, for my eyes to widen as well, and a small whimper from the scare to escape me. Most whimpers were made of whine or passion; never did I think I'd make a whimper from fright. I didn't want for him to just come up an attack me. But I didn't want him to be real either. I'd have to turn around, but before I could contemplate whether or not to do so, he spoke again. "Look at me, Bella." _

_So, I did. Very, very slowly, I turned; tears falling from my eyes as I did so, whimpers of fright escaped my lips. I caught sight of him in the corner of my eye, which told me he was real. He was there. By the time I had a full view of him, my heart had shattered. There he was, a smirk across his face, his hair tied back, black tight t-shirt, leather jacket. He was feeling victorious. Trying to kill me in Seattle wasn't enough back several ago after refusing to go out with him. Soon he was sending me letters, and then he kidnapped me, threatened me, told me his frame plan, and tried to kill me. _

_Now, he was happy that he had his second chance. How had he known I was here? But like he always did, he knew what I was thinking. He knew how predictable I was. "Well, I've been staying at your abandoned house, Bella," he answered my thoughts. "You have no neighbors, and everyone knows you've 'moved'." He smiled menacingly. "Come on Bellaaaa," he chimed, emphasizing my name, "you know better than this. No matter where you go," he taunted, "I'll find you. Understand?" I stayed silent. I even backed up a few steps. "Don't be afraid Bella!" He commanded. He approached me. I let out a small cry and headed for the kitchen. Passed it was the laundry room that held the back door, but he got to me first. He collided into me, turning me to face him in the process. I was jammed, in a standing position between a chair, and him. He had caught me right beside the kitchen table. _

_"Don't 'run' either." He smiled, and then bent his head down to the crook of my neck and inhaled deeply. "The same smell as always," he mused. "Yes, Bella," he answered my crying, questioning eyes. "I have recognized your scent since the moment I met you. Your car, your room, your clothes…they all smell just like you…your scent covering them strongly in its entrancement of a hold." _

_He had my arms both pinned to my sides and my mouth covered with his palm. I whimpered, and his eyes widened in interest. "What Bella??" he lifted his palm. _

_My voice was weak. I had tried to say nothing before, but since I had the chance, the curiosity just struck me violently as waves on the beach like the aftermath of storm. "Why are you…doing…this?" I choked. _

_He bent his head back to my neck and licked the tear that had trickled down my cheek, and said, "If I can't have you Bella," he grunted, throwing me across the room and into the china case, causing me to knock the doors open, making the glasses fall out. I moved before I could be injured from the glass. The last thing I needed was to be knocked out with him in the room. I backed away from him and I reached into my purse that I had strapped around my shoulder. He came flying at me and I began to spray. _

_The spray did its job sufficiently. It was strong, mine was. I don't know why, but it seemed to have a strong effect each time I used it. "Bella!" he roared as I ran to my car. I already had my keys in my hand, and I unlocked my car. Once I was inside, I locked it, locked all the windows, and began the car. Thank God it was new, because it started like a dream. He ran out of the house, and I took off. Why hadn't I used the pepper spray before…? I choked back my tears all the way to the airport. I didn't stop for gas, for a hotel room. I called Jacob, my ex-boyfriend and ex-best friend, and told him to call the police to check out my house if he hears any rumors. He asked why the random call and I told him it was complicated, and that I was leaving. Just in case somehow, James, the mastermind he was, was monitoring my calls, I kept the place I was going discrete. Chicago was my next stop. _

God I loved my car. I would hate to see it go when it had to, but since I moved so much I would eventually have to leave it behind.

But now, here I was in Chicago, for about three months. I prayed James would at least not ruin my Christmas. Twice he's tried to kill me. I suppose he tried to kill me at my dad's I wasn't sure. I could always call Page, the old man that gave me his number. This was going to be a weird Christmas and a rather awkward Thanks Giving before that! Never had I thought I'd be afraid of Santa Clause. Hence why I love my apartment: Heavily locked windows, no chimney.


End file.
